Report says 96 per cent of workers willing to hit the road again in the next 12 months – with conditions
Though COVID-19 seems to be surging in some parts of North America, there is nevertheless a push toward normalcy in a lot of businesses. One huge part of this is the resumption of business travel.
And it seems that employees are keen to hit the road – notably because they are worried that a slow down in business travel may impact their careers:
“They’re used to travelling, they’re used to working with organizations with that face to face component. And I think they felt that sense of loss over the last 18 months,” says Victoria DeBoon, Director of Sales, SAP Concur.
“[Workers] are pushing to travel, with 96 per cent willing to resume travel in the next 12 months according to our Global Business Traveller report” she says.
The concern is now how to make this happen while ensuring that employers are creating an environment where workers are connected and committed to the longevity of the organization – not to mention, how can organizations push for business travel while ensuring the health and safety of its workers?
Furthermore, there may be employees who do not feel comfortable enough to travel – employers need to either agree with this sentiment, or find productive ways to make them feel comfortable if business travel is an integral part of that particular role.
DeBoon says that at the moment, organizations are more so focused on domestic travel – international travel will come later.
Indeed, a slow but steady return to business travel seems to be key, especially as it is so hard to predict what the landscape will look like over the next year – let alone the next few months.
In addition, the safety piece is going to be even more prevalent as individuals start to travel again. This includes understanding the regulations – and risks – inherent to a particular location.
It also includes looking at safety protocols on flights and in hotels:
“I think we have to look at […] what access [workers] have to different services, maybe they don’t want to feel like they want to venture too far out of the area that they’re going to. Are they comfortable with the location that they are staying in from a reputation standpoint?” asks DeBoon.
On this note, DeBoon says that the biggest theme that she is hearing in the industry vis-à-vis organization support is a focus on flexibility, so supporting last minute changes based on comfort level, providing the ability to pick their travel path or vehicle, etc.
According to SAP Concur’s Global Business Traveller Report, 72 per cent of those surveyed ranked flexibility as the top driver for business travel, and 52 per cent expect the freedom to book direct flights.
DeBoon’s company, SAP Concur, provides travel tools and solutions to assist employees with monitoring and tracking changing local regulations, company policies and vaccine requirements.
Technology will most likely play a part in the resumption of business travel.
Ultimately, it seems that to safely support business travel, employers need be attentive to employee comfort levels, and offer flexibility where necessary.
